The present invention relates to vehicles, such as pickup trucks, sports utility vehicles, vans, and emergency vehicles, particularly to strut assemblies and a collapsible support system for such vehicles, and more particularly to a strut assembly that can be insulated, heated, or insulated and heated, and to a support system incorporating collapsible beams.
In recent years, a hidden storage system has been developed for installation in the side panels of vehicles, and wherein one or more sections of the side panels is hinged to provide access to the interior of a storage box positioned behind the side panels. Such a hidden storage system is described and claimed in above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,000 and in Pat. No. 5,823,598 issued Oct. 20, 1998. It has been found that conventional strut assemblies which are utilized to retain the hinged side panel sections, truck lids, tail-gate window assemblies, etc. are not effective in extreme heat or cold. Also, it has been found that side impacts of a vehicle, such as referenced above, cause rupture of fuel tanks located beneath the floor of the vehicles, particularly in pickup truck beds.
The present invention involves an improved strut assembly which can withstand the heat or cold operating conditions, and provides a safety system for vehicle side impacts. The strut assembly of the present is insulated, heated and/or insulated and heated, with the heating obtained via the vehicle power supply. Heating strips are utilized which are thermostatically controlled. The safety system utilizes a plurality of beams which collapse when impacted on the ends thereof and are constructed to direct the force away from a fuel tank located beneath the beams. Thus, when these features are combined into a vehicle, they provide an advance in the art which enables use in various temperature conditions while providing an additional safety feature.